2001 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

MOVING MY BOAT IN THE DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I WENT TO STOP MY BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS CONTROLLER FAILED CAUSING NO BRAKING!!! PUMPED THEM LIKE CRAZY AND IT JUST PISSED OUT ALL OF THE FLUID. I HAD MY CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE AREA AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THEY WERE NOT KILLED! UPON INSPECTION THE BRAKE LINE ROTTED AT THE POINTS WHERE THEY ARE HELD ONTO THE FRAME BY THE HANGERS! THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD HAVE SOME LIABILITY IN THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY JUST OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN DESIGN. THE SCARY PART IS THE LINES LOOK GREAT OVERALL BUT WHERE THEY ARE PLACED IN ALL OF THE HANGERS THEY HAD ROT SPOTS IN THEM THAT WAS ONLY APPARENT AFTER DIS-ASSEMBLY. A NORMAL SAFETY INSPECTION WOULD NOT PICK UP ON THE CORROSION HIDDEN WITHIN THE HANGERS. *TR

WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP, A HYDRAULIC LINE SERVING THE FRONT BRAKES RUPTURED CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES. THIS IS THE THIRD HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO LINES TO FAIL WERE ON THE REAR AXLE. ALL OF THE REMAINING HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES ARE HEAVILY RUSTED AND PITTED, THEY ALL ARE AT RISK OF FAILURE AT ANY TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE. IT POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE DRIVERS AND TO THE PERSONS AND PROPERTY OF OTHERS. EVERY ONE OF THE OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINES. WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT SHALL BE IS UP TO NHTSA, BUT THE NEED FOR INFORMATION IS GREAT. THIS IS A HEAVY WEIGHT VEHICLE FOR ORDINARY CONSUMER USE. MOST SUCH USERS ARE UNPREPARED FOR A BRAKE FAILURE OF THIS KIND. INTERESTINGLY, GM DOES NOT OFFER REPLACEMENT PARTS. PRECISION FORMED LINES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AFTERMARKET. THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER USES NON-CORRODING COPPER-NICKEL REPLACEMENT LINE, AND FABRICATES THE LINES LOCALLY. THE SAME BRAKE LINE METALLURGY WAS USED IN HIGH END EUROPEAN CARS (VOLVO AND PORSCHE) BEGINNING IN THE 1980S. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH I WAS NEAR MY EXIT AND ACTIVATED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE ROOM TO CHANGE LANES AND PASS MY EXIT AND DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW AND EVENTUALLY STOP. I HAD TRIED TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE CABLE SNAPPED ON THE SPOT. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT EVERY BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED AND MOST WERE FAILING. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID IT ISN'T RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE JUST THE LEAKING LINES BECAUSE ONCE THE PRESSURE IS RESTORED, THE REMAINING LINES WOULD THEN LIKELY FAIL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND I AM WAITING FOR WHAT I AM SURE WILL BE A SIZABLE REPAIR BILL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,736.